July, 2020 | Horse Racing Free Tips

Uncle Mo Colt Goes from Maiden Winner to Graded Winner at Los Al

The flashy Uncle Chuck went from maiden winner to graded winner as he ran away from just three foes as the heavy favorite here. A seven-length romper going a flat mile at Santa Anita June 12, the half-brother to brilliant debut winner and sire Maclean’s Music (Distorted Humor) was bet down to 13-1 in last week’s GI Kentucky Derby future pool and gave his backers reason to feel good about their chances Saturday. With stablemate and MGSW Thousand Words the main danger on paper, the leggy dark bay chased the pace while kept very far off the rail. Thousand Words sat even farther back and more off the inside. Uncle Chuck made a quick move to challenge for the lead around the bend, and while Thousand Words looked like he might be going better heading into the long Los Al stretch, Uncle Chuck found plenty more despite some lead issues to bound away.

“He broke great and I just left him alone,” said rider Luis Saez, who flew in from New York to take the mount. “He was doing it easy all the way. When I showed him the whip he took off. He’s a very nice colt.”

While Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert has lost two of his sophomore stars this year on the elongated GI Kentucky Derby trail, he has displayed the depth of his bench this week, first with $3.65-million Cezanne (Curlin) going two-for-two on Thursday followed by the exacta in the Los Alamitos Derby.

“That was good,” Baffert said. “At the top of the lane, I thought Thousand Words might get him, but at least he ran better. We’re just learning more about Uncle Chuck. He’s still pretty green, but he’s got gears. Luis was excited about him and I think he’s one of the top riders in the country. He said [Uncle Chuck] is still learning and he’s got a lot of improvement in him. He was full of himself when he came back. It’s exciting. He’s learning quickly and he has brilliance. I was impressed. I think we just saw something pretty special and he’s been special from day one. He’s bred to be any kind.”

Pedigree Notes:

An 8 1/2-length first-out scorer (105 Beyer Speed Figure) herself, Uncle Chuck’s dam Forest Music is responsible for four debut winners, including the fastest of all time in Steve Asmussen trainee Maclean’s Music, who earned a 114 Beyer for his lone appearance Mar. 19, 2011 at Santa Anita. Forest Music was purchased privately by Stonestreet before taking the 2005 GII Honorable Miss H. at Saratoga. Despite her speed, Forest Music has produced several horses who have seen out a route of ground, including Stonestreet’s 2019 GIII Doubledogdare S. winner Electric Forest (Curlin) and 2015 GII Los Alamitos Derby third Kentuckian (Tiznow). Forest Music produced a Curlin colt in 2019 but was barren when bred back to that stallion for 2020. Uncle Chuck is the 32nd graded winner for Uncle Mo but first out of a mare by top broodmare sire Unbridled’s Song. GI Apple Blossom H. winner Unbridled Mo is out of an Unbridled mare, and GI Wood Memorial S. hero Outwork is out of a mare by Unbridled’s son Empire Maker.

Saturday, Los Alamitos
LOS ALAMITOS DERBY-GIII, $150,000, Los Alamitos, 7-4, 3yo,
1 1/8m, 1:47.65, ft.
1–UNCLE CHUCK, 122, c, 3, by Uncle Mo
1st Dam: Forest Music (MGSW & MGISP, $370,566), by Unbridled’s Song
                2nd Dam: Defer West, by Gone West
                3rd Dam: Defer, by Damascus
   1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($250,000
Ylg ’18 KEESEP). O-Watson, Karl, Pegram, Michael E. and
Weitman, Paul; B-Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings LLC (KY);
T-Bob Baffert; J-Luis Saez. $90,000. Lifetime Record: 2-2-0-0,
$120,000. *1/2 to Kentuckian (Tiznow), GSW, $177,830; and
Electric Forest (Curlin), GSW, $165,598. Werk Nick Rating:
   Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Thousand Words, 122, c, 3, Pioneerof the Nile–Pomeroys
Pistol, by Pomeroy. ($1,000,000 Ylg ’18 KEESEP). O-Albaugh
Family Stables LLC and Spendthrift Farm LLC; B-Hardacre Farm
(FL); T-Bob Baffert. $31,500.
3–Cosmo, 122, c, 3, Distorted Humor–Sky Glow, by Grand Slam.
($235,000 Wlg ’17 KEENOV; $300,000 Ylg ’18 KEESEP).
O-Hudson, Jr., Edward J. and Hudson, Lynne; B-Anzac LLC &
Roxanne Martin Stable Inc. (KY); T-Neil D. Drysdale. $18,750.
Margins: 4, 7, 4. Odds: 0.40, 1.80, 25.10.
Also Ran: Great Power. Scratched: Anneau d’Or. Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.

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Project Whiskey Finds Longer Distance To Her Liking In Delaware Oaks

In her first attempt versus graded stakes competition and going two turns for the first time, Cash is King and LC Racing's Project Whiskey posted an upset victory Saturday in the $300,000 Grade 3 Delaware Oaks at Delaware Park in Wilmington, Del.

With Frankie Pennington aboard, the daughter of Tapizar returned $79.80 as the longest shot in the field of eight. The Maryland-bred trained by Robert “Butch” Reid won by a half-length and covered the mile and a sixteenth in 1:44.04 over a fast main track.

Dream Marie, with Joe Bravo, finished second 1 1/4 lengths in front of Princess Cadey, with Angel Cruz, in third. The 9-to-5 favorite, Piece of My Heart with Joe Talamo, cut early fractions of :47.28 for the half-mile and 1:11.99 for the three-quarter miles before finishing fourth.

In her only other outing this year, Project Whiskey finished unplaced in a six-furlong Churchill Downs allowance on May 25. Last year, she posted two victories out of five starts, including the seven-furlong Parx Juvenile Filly Stakes.

“I am glad we went down to Churchill to get that race in her which set her up perfectly for this,” said Reid. “I think this is what she has been waiting to do – to go a route ground. We are not sure where we are going to go next with her, but I am sure it will probably have the word 'Oaks' behind it. What exactly that race is, we are going to have to sit down with the owners to figure out. I am just happy to have this ownership group. They put up with a lot of my shenanigans and they went ahead and took the opportunity to run in this race with this nice filly, so I got to give them a lot of the credit.”

Winning jockey Frankie Pennington was impressed with her tenacity.

“Going into the race Butch (Robert Reid) had her unbelievable,” said winning jockey Frankie Pennington. “It was a real gutsy effort for my filly especially because it was her first time going two turns. She broke sharp and put us in a good position. When the seven (Dream Marie) came towards us just before the quarter pole, I asked her and she fought back on. The more we were staying together with seven, the more she just kept fighting and she gutted it out.”

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Vekoma Scores Front-Running Victory In Runhappy Met Mile

Under Hall of Fame jockey Javier Castellano, R.A. Hill Stable and Gatsas Stables' Vekoma scored a front-running victory in Saturday's Grade 1 Runhappy Met Mile Handicap at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y., holding off late charges from Network Effect and Code of Honor and earning an automatic berth in the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile in the Win and You're In Breeders' Cup Challenge Series race.

Trained by George Weaver, Vekoma – 4-year-old colt by Candy Ride out of G1 Humana Distaff winner Mona de Momma, by Speightstown – covered one mile on a fast track in 1:32.88 after setting fractions of :22.73, :45.87 and 1:09.57.

Network Effect, who altered course in the stretch after lacking room along the rail, finished second. Code of Honor closed on the outside for third, with Warrior's Charge fourth and McKinzie fifth in the field of eight older runners.

Vekoma carried 123 pounds, two less than high-weight McKinzie. Both went off at 9-5.

The win was the sixth in eight starts for Vekoma, winner of the G3 Nashua at 2 in 2018, the G2 Blue Grass Stakes in 2019 and then 13th in the G1 Kentucky Derby. Given a lengthy rest by Weaver after the Derby, Vekoma came back in March to win the Sir Shackleton Stakes at Gulfstream, then came from just off the pace to win the G1 Carter Handicap on June 6. Network Effect finished second that day, too.

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Candy Ride’s Vekoma All the Way in Runhappy Met Mile

Given a positive ride by Javier Castellano, R A Hill Stable and Gatsas Stable’s Vekoma (Candy Ride {Arg}) dared them to catch him in Saturday’s GI Runhappy Metropolitan H. at Belmont, and catch him they could not, as the immaculately bred chestnut made every yard of the running to best perfect-trip Network Effect (Mark Valeski) by 1 1/4 lengths. Code of Honor (Noble Mission {GB}) was forced to cover ground on the turn, but plugged on gamely to be third, while favored ‘TDN Rising Star’ McKinzie (Street Sense) had little stretch response and could do no better than fifth.

The second betting choice by roughly $15,000, Vekoma was kicked straight into a clear advantage and galloped along comfortably enough a bit off the inside through an opening quarter in :22.73 over a drying-out Belmont main track that was yielding fast times all afternoon. The outposted Warrior’s Charge (Warrior’s Reward) prompted from second, while McKinzie–who endured a luckless trip when runner-up to Mitole (Eskendereya) in this 12 months back–was kept in the clear and out of harm’s way by Mike Smith from close up in fourth.

Vekoma, who romped to a 7 1/4-length defeat of Network Effect in the GI Runhappy Carter H. June 6, was nursed along into the turn after a half that was posted in a very manageable :45.87, but they were beginning to close ranks. Endorsed (Medaglia d’Oro), second to Code of Honor in the GIII Westchester S. June 6, attacked three wide, McKinzie four deep and Code of Honor was waited with on the back of the latter nearing the stretch. Shaken up off the home corner, Vekoma fended off Warrior’s Charge at the furlong grounds, dug in doggedly and held sway, as Network Effect parlayed his golden trip into a runner-up effort. Code of Honor ran with credit to be third, while traveling 29 feet (about three lengths) more than the winner, per Trakus data.

“I was happy with our trip around the backside,” said trainer George Weaver, winning his fourth career Grade I and second in succession. “I knew we had natural speed, and no one really went with us, so I was happy with the fact that he was there. At the quarter pole, it seemed like all comers were coming and I thought, ‘Man, does he have anything left in the tank or not?’ When they got to the eighth pole and I saw him re-break and keep going, I got excited. It was fun.”

Winner of the GIII Nashua S. at two going a one-tun mile, Vekoma was the stalk-and-pounce winner of last year’s GII Toyota Blue Grass S. and was shelved after a 13th–placed 12th–in the GI Kentucky Derby. The chestnut won the seven-furlong Sir Shackleton S. at Gulfstream Mar. 28 ahead of his tour-de-force in the Carter over that specialist trip last time. Vekoma is the first to complete the Carter/Met double since Wild Rush in 1998.

Pedigree Notes:

Vekoma is one of 16 top-level winners for his hugely successful stallion and is one of two foals to race from his dam, who defeated champion Informed Decision (Monarchos) in the GI Humana Distaff H. in 2010. Vekoma’s now 6-year-old half-sister Bloody Point (War Front) won half of her six career starts and is the dam of a colt foal by Quality Road. His unraced 5-year-old half-sister L’Age d’Or (Medaglia d’Oro) foaled a War Front filly this year. Vekoma is Mona de Momma’s last listed produce.

Vekoma’s unplaced second dam was a half-sister to GI Breeders’ Cup Sprint runner-up Mr. Greeley (Gone West) and to the stakes-winning Majestic Legend (His Majesty), whose daughter Bedazzle (Dixieland Band) was responsible for champion, GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile and GI Kentucky Derby- winning ‘TDN Rising Star’ Street Sense (Street Cry {Ire}). The female family also includes MGISW ‘Rising Star’ Paradise Woods (Union Rags).

Saturday, Belmont Park
RUNHAPPY METROPOLITAN H.-GI, $500,000, Belmont, 7-4, 3yo/up, 1m, 1:32.88, ft.
1–VEKOMA, 123, c, 4, by Candy Ride (Arg)
1st Dam: Mona de Momma (GISW, $384,399), by Speightstown
2nd Dam: Society Gal, by Linkage
3rd Dam: Long Legend, by Reviewer
($135,000 Ylg ’17 KEESEP). O-R. A. Hill Stable & Gatsas Stables;
B-Alpha Delta Stables, LLC (KY); T-George Weaver; J-Javier
Castellano. $275,000. Lifetime Record: 8-6-0-1, $1,245,525.
Werk Nick Rating: B. Click for the
eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Network Effect, 120, c, 4, Mark Valeski–Sandy Key Gal, by
Put It Back. ($95,000 2yo ’18 OBSAPR). O-Klaravich Stables,
Inc.; B-Louis Jolin (FL); T-Chad C. Brown. $100,000.
3–Code of Honor, 124, c, 4, Noble Mission (GB)–Reunited, by
Dixie Union. ($70,000 RNA Ylg ’17 KEESEP). O/B-W. S. Farish
(KY); T-Claude R. McGaughey III. $60,000.
Margins: 1 1/4, NK, HF. Odds: 1.95, 13.50, 3.60.
Also Ran: Warrior’s Charge, McKinzie, Mr Freeze, Endorsed, Hog Creek Hustle.
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.

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